In the growing and care of trees, it is often require and it is common practice to support trees against falling or being blown down and to control their direction of vertical growth. The most common and satisfactory way in which to support trees to attain the above ends is to set elongate vertical, rigid, support posts in the earth adjacent to the trees and to tie the trees to the posts. So as not to damage the trees, the tie means employed to tie the trees to the posts must be such that they will not cut into and damage the trees or abrade the trees upon anticipated relative movement between the trees and the posts.
To the above end, the prior art has found that a most satisfactory tie means or tree tie, is established by a short length of rubber or plastic garden hose engaged about the trunk of a tree to be tied and through which a length of wire or cable is engaged to effect securing the hose in place about the tree and to an adjacent supporting post. The hoses in such tie means prevent the wires of the ties from coming into contact with and cutting into the trees. The hoses are sufficiently large in diameter and sufficiently soft and flexible so that those forces which the tie means impart into the trees are effectively distributed and dispersed so as to prevent damage to the trees.
A principle shortcoming to be found in the above noted form of tree tie and in certain other, less sophisticated forms of ties provided by the prior art, resides in the fact that the tree ties do not provide or allow for growth of the trees and are such that if left engaged about their related trees for any appreciable period of time, they strangulate the trees by constricting and prevent the normal development and function of the cambrium layers of the trees. In those cases where the trees are not killed, the growth and development of the trees is adversely affected in one or more different ways.
In order to prevent tree ties from strangling or otherwise adversely affecting the growth of related trees, it is common and recommended practice to retie the tree at least once a year, prior to the commencement of each growing season. In doing so, the ties are set so as to allow for anticipated growth through the next growing season. Such practices are extremely costly and are subject to being carried out in an improper manner or forgotten.
Another shortcoming to be found in tree ties of the general character referred to above resides in the fact that they are most often, non-yielding in nature and are such that when their related trees are caused to move, bend or yield laterally away from their supporting posts, as by the force of sudden gusts of wind, the trees frequently snap and break at their points or lines of contact with the unyielding tree ties.
In order to overcome the above shortcoming, it is recommended procedure and practice to employ support posts which are not so heavy, strong and durable that they will not yield or fail before the trunks of their related trees will break. That is, good practice requires that the support posts be less strong than the tree trunks so that should the trees have to yield and bend under the forces of gale winds and the like, they will not be prevented from doing so by the tree tie means. As a result of the foregoing, in the case of trees which must be supported or tied for many years, it is frequently necessary that the support posts be replaced by larger and stronger posts every year or two, during the development of trees.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,198 entitled Tree Tie, discloses providing a tree tie that tries to address this problem by utilizing a collar with a helical spring element therein to allow for flexibility. This type of collar is difficult to manufacture as well as being expensive. What is needed is a system for that addresses the above identified issues, is cost effective and easy to manufacture. The present invention addresses such a need.